On July 31, President Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on Indian imports. While calling India a friend, he also outlined reasons for imposing this rate, citing unfair tariffs and non-tariff barriers, purchases of sanctioned Russian oil and weapons, and BRICS membership.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke in greater detail about this decision, reiterating that while India is a valued friend and partner in countless areas, issues exist in our relationship with the South Asian country that need to be addressed. Referring to Russian oil, he said the following:

And that – unfortunately that is helping to sustain the Russian war effort. So it is most certainly a point of irritation in our relationship with India – not the only point of irritation.  We also have many other points of cooperation with them.  But I think what you’re seeing the President express is the very clear frustration that with so many other oil vendors available, India continues to buy so much from Russia, which in essence is helping to fund the war effort […] and allowing this war to continue in Ukraine.

Days later, President Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 25 percent tariff on India, consistent with President Trump’s promise to impose secondary sanctions on purchasers of Russian oil.

Panicans online have been busy criticizing the decision to impose such a duty rate, claiming it will have an adverse effect on U.S.-India relations at a critical time when China is ramping up its war on the U.S. and the free world. However, this criticism—panic, rather—is not based in reality and ignores the big picture. It is a strategic move—calculated realpolitik—with the aim of pushing India in a direction that aligns closer with American interests and securing a fair trade deal.

It is a move that anyone who has the U.S.’s best interests at heart and understands the deeper geopolitical dynamics involved is celebrating.

For context, while India is often referred to as an ally, it is not a formal treaty ally. India had long adhered to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s policy of non-alignment, though in recent years, New Delhi has increasingly aligned itself with Washington amid its security concerns relating to Pakistan and China, such as through The Quad, all while continuing to hedge—something India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has referred to as multi-alignment.

Now more than ever, we cannot afford an India that maintains friendly ties with the U.S. but turns around and engages with anti-American authoritarian regimes.

RELATED: Trump Slaps 50% Tariffs on Indian Products Because of Black Market Russian Oil

U.S.-India trade relations have been far from fair. While India has had free access to the U.S. market, with the U.S. being India’s top foreign market, the same cannot be said for American products in the Indian market. India is also largely dependent on Chinese imports amid its widening deficit with Beijing. In 2024, our trade deficit with India grew to $45.8 billion, something President Trump seeks to correct.

President Trump is also committed to ending the war in Ukraine. New Delhi, on the other hand, has been undermining this goal by ramping up purchases of cheap sanctioned Russian crude oil and procuring Russian weapons. This contributes to Russia’s war effort and prolongs the fighting in Ukraine.

But holding India accountable for its oil and weapons purchases goes beyond exerting pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. It has just as much to do with China, our top foreign enemy. Earlier this year, China and Russia deepened their comprehensive strategic partnership, which encompasses military, economic, and diplomatic cooperation.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi admitted to Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas that China benefits from the Ukraine war, as it acts as a distraction to the U.S.—something that would be invaluable to Beijing if it were to launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan. China has been supporting Russia with soldiers, receiving combat training in return; purchasing discounted oil, like India; and supplying Russia with arms and other technology.

The Trump administration undoubtedly recognizes the ways in which China benefits from this war that began during Joe Biden’s term and finds it problematic that India is enabling Beijing via Moscow.

Another stumbling block is India’s role in BRICS and the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), both of which advance agendas that seek to undermine the U.S.’s position and bolster Chinese and Russian interests. Though India has pushed back to a degree within these organizations—such as opposing a statement condemning Israel’s military actions in Iran at the SCO—New Delhi is still a member of these groups, supporting their joint initiatives, and also contributes financially to the SCO.

The Trump administration is seeking to push India to agree to a deal that aligns more closely with the U.S. for strategic purposes, precisely because they recognize the threat that China poses, along with an emboldened Russia. Though it is unlikely that India will fully abandon its hedging strategy that is rooted in non-alignment, the Trump administration’s efforts may very well act as a catalyst for India to begin rethinking its geopolitical orientation.

Despite statements of condemnation, India intends to continue negotiating with the U.S. on a trade deal, and its Ministry of External Affairs mentioned that the U.S.-India security partnership will continue growing. Another source indicates that Indian leadership is not panicking and is unlikely to retaliate.

It remains to be seen whether India will resist our demands regarding Russian oil imports. However, Indian state-owned refiners have halted their purchases from Moscow until further notice.

Some trade deals materialize faster—or slower—than others. Despite all of the doom and gloom on the internet and in the media, the Trump administration has stated that it is willing to continue engaging in trade negotiations with interested countries past the August 1 deadline.

Considering the dealmaker that President Trump is, if push comes to shove and the Indian government resists more than anticipated, expect the administration to deploy all the different negotiating tactics that they used to secure a pro-America trade deal with the EU, after Brussels’s threats.

President Trump is pushing U.S.-India bilateral relations to a new level using our economic leverage—one that recalibrates our ties with the South Asian country in our favor by pushing India to open its markets to our goods instead of Chinese products and by ensuring that New Delhi is not enabling authoritarian regimes behind our back. We hold the cards, and Prime Minister Modi knows this. The rest is just noise.

Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.  

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